Al Tiramisu

I fear that my ongoing and repetitive reviews of Al Tiramisu will make me lose credibility in the eyes of those who read them. Why? Because I have nothing bad to say about this restaurant and its stellar food and its impeccable service!
My spouse and I went to Al Tiramisu again last night to celebrate the birthday of a good friend. It was yet again a perfect evening (and not just because of our dear friends)!
Three of us started with a special appetizer - the stuffed zucchini blossoms. OMG these things were so wonderful! Perfectly fried - it was an explosion of tastes and balanced with a simple salad of light vinaigrette dressing. Beautiful!
My main dish was squid ink ravioli stuffed with crab meat. Divine!
But - as great as the food is - it is really the service that make this place so wonderful. The atmosphere is festive and fun and that starts with chef/owner Luigi!!! He is all personality and the delight in life he shares extends throughout the entire dining room.
I cannot say enough good things about Luigi and Al Tiramisu. But - please don't go to this restaurant (wink, wink, nod, nod). I don't want it to get too busy!!!
Seriously, I highly recommend Al Tiramisu to one and all!!!

Al Tiramisu was suggested to us our first evening in D.C. There are about fifty total seats, (two, four, and a couple group tables) so a reservation is needed.
We had the burrata and a special negroni to start. The burrata was full of flavor, but the negroni... My wife said it was the best she has ever tasted.
I had the special mushroom risotto. My wife had the rosemary chicken. I have had many dishes of risotto, but never so tasty. Numerous tastes graced my palate, (fresh mushrooms, cheese, the perfectly prepared rice).
My wife loved the chicken. She said the creamy mashed potatoes were the best she has ever had. I am impressed how many times the words best ever came up during this amazing meal.

My friends love this place and hit it every time they are in DC. I can see why! The featured cocktail was interesting and great- i had the lobster pasta which was also a special. It was SO good! Lots of lobster and flavorful sauce. Highly recommend

Service outstanding. Hit this place up- it's affordable and equally as good as the "fancy" DC Italian places

Full disclosure: this is less a review than a love letter. For over ten years, Al Tiramisu has been my favorite restaurant -- not just in DC, but anywhere -- and so much more. It's where I have celebrated some of my happiest moments, and where I have found fellowship in times of uncertainty. The people who run it -- from the owner/chef, Luigi, to the longtime manager, Nagia, to the servers and kitchen staff -- are warm, generous, engaging, and passionate about the food they make and the service they deliver.

The food itself is simply exceptional. I have tried everything on the regular menu and nearly all of the rotating specials -- always in season. There are no misses at Al Tiramisu, only hard choices.

Rather than attempting to catalogue their
many outstanding offerings -- a seemingly impossible task -- I will tell you what I recommend now. And I will endeavor to update this review regularly.

In June 2025, you should try the taglierini with pesto and the mixed green salad with beets, roasted walnuts, and crumbled goat cheese . The pesto -- light, flavorful, verdant -- is a thing of beauty. I eagerly anticipate its return every summer.

In summary: if you love Italian food, you should go here. If you value highly considerate, professional service in an intimate setting, you should go here. If you are in town for the night and want to tell your friends back home that you ate at one of the best restaurants in DC, you should go here (and, yes, I have dined at Centrolina, Fiola Mare, Modena, etc. -- Al Tiramisu is superior). If you want to feel better on your way out than you did on your way in -- not just nourished, but restored -- you should go here.

I promise, you won't regret it.

I booked a table for two via Open Table last weekend during our staycation in Dupont Circle! We had such an amazing dinner. I can't believe I didn't know about this place before.

It's so cozy and very romantic. I'm definitely planning to come back soon. They have happy hour.

Everyone was so welcoming - from the hostess to our waiter.

The food was great! The complimentary bread was delicious. It comes with anchovies - we asked for butter instead. I had the laganelle pasta - so yummy and filling. There's great wine and cocktail options.

Now let's talk about the dessert menu! Just wow! I'm not even big into sweets, but the desserts here are worth it. Get the tiramisu!

Quality Italian cooking in a cozy environment. Their specials are typically worth a good luck, but you'll be satisfied with whatever you end up choosing. The staff is very friendly.

I hesitate to rate this restaurant since it will be crazy if more people come, but it's too good to not say anything.

The pasta here is number one. Most are amazing. The mushroom laganelle (very amazing vegetarian), the veal fettuccine is also a meaty option, and the clam pasta is nice and light while being fulfilling. There are so many more, but we'd be here all day if I had to list them all.

One of the most amazing ones is the truffle pasta, which is available in winter. The mushroom risotto is also a stellar hit.

For meatier options, their steak is well done. Cooked expertly to a nice rare or medium rare, with simple seasonings but a perfect char. Branzino is a nice fish option as someone who dislikes fish. The branzino is flaky and buttery and the accompanying vegetables go well.

The servers and the front of house and the chef are always so kind and sweet. Service is lovely and attentive. As for the ambiance, it's a quaint, small restaurant with touches of Italy and it's perfectly quiet for a nicer dinner.

My boyfriend and I love going out to eat and have pretty high standards. Al Tiramisu is officially our favorite dinner in DC. Everything from the intimate dining room, the food, and the staff were perfect. We will definitely be back!

We have been before but quality has gone down hill. Other better quality places for the price point. Service was nice and it's a quaint place but the food just didn't measure up. Went two years ago and it was better but not great back then but thought we would give it another shot.

We paid 240 with taxes and tip for dinner of 4- no alcohol and just 4 entrees (2 pastas, 1 calamari, a chicken dish), one expresso, one cheesecake sice and a coke) . They also charge 3 % credit card fee which is kind of ridiculous with their high prices already.

The seafood ravioli in lobster sauce was salty ad for 42 dollars, not stuffed very much. The calamari entree had 5 calamari's, 3 zuccini slices and 3 carrot slices for $32 dollars. Cheesecake was crumbly and not smooth but flavor was good. We enjoyed the service and bread but just would not come back again .

Al Tiramisu is an old stalwart of the DC dining scene, and I think it's a very good restaurant, but you might in for some sticker shock.

We were a party of four, and we started with cocktails (about $20 each, all very good). For appetizer, we each had an off-menu sampler which had delicious house-smoked duck, grilled calamari, rolled eggplant, and piece of a portobello mushroom, and a wedge of burrata. I loved everything except for the mushroom which was a bit blah. It was a yummy start, but at $25 a head, felt about $10/portion more than it should have been. We found a good bottle of red wine for $120, which was one of the cheaper bottles on the wine list.

While not mentioned on the menu, all the pastas are available as half portions which was a pleasant surprise. I absolutely loved my tagliatelle with wild mushrooms; it was fantastic. So was the ricotta gnocchi in cacio e pepe - pillowy, rich, and divine. The lobster pasta, a signature dish, was good but perhaps not a showstopper. Also enjoyed by our table was a delightful ravioli with crab meat.

Our "secondi" were the weakest part of the meal. I loved my lamb shank ossobuco which, if anything, was too big, but it was delicious with its creamy polenta and stewed tomato sauce. The ribeye steak, however, was overwhelmed by the truffle butter and not as buttery and tender as was hoped for the price ($48). The branzino was perfectly nice, but could have had a bit more flair.

Desserts were awesome. Creamy pistachio gelato, chocolate tartufo, and cheesecake...all very nice.

All in all, $850 with tax and tip...mighty pricey for dinner for four. I had a similarly good meal in a very upmarket Milan restaurant last month for about a third of the price. Yes, I know we aren't in Italy, but even by DC standards, this very good restaurant just didn't exactly feel like it was worth every penny.